Lustron homes are prefabricated, enameled-steel houses developed in response to the shortage of housing for GI’s returning from World War II. They were constructed entirely of metal. These homes contain enamel-coated exterior walls and roofing, steel framing and metal-paneled interior walls and ceiling. Lustron homes included built-in features such as bookcases, vanities, china cabinets, and even a unique combination sink-dishwasher-washing machine. According to Lustron, this home would “defy weather, wear, and time.”
Lustron Corporation’s plant in Columbus, OH built around 2,500 of the Lustron prefabricated home units between 1948 and 1950 but only about 1200-1500 of these are still in existence today. Many of the remaining Lustron homes have been altered significantly.
Alabamians ordered twenty Lustron homes according to company records. Only 11 of these remained in 2000. The Alabama Historical Commission (AHC) and the Alabama Trust for Historic Preservation (ATHP) placed the remaining Alabama Lustron homes on their 2012 list of “Places in Peril” which highlights Alabama’s most significant endangered historic sites.
Two of the remaining Lustron homes are located in Jackson, AL – the J. P. McKee House and the Doit W. McClellan House. Both of these are Lustron’s “Westchester” 2-bedroom model. These two Lustron Homes were added to the National Register of Historic Places on February 24, 2000. They are also included in the Lustron Houses in Alabama MPS that’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
These two homes are located near each other. The J. P. McKee Lustron House is located on College Avenue about 200 feet north of the intersection of College Avenue and Pearl Street (GPS coordinates 31.516964, -87.895251) and the Doit W. McClellan Lustron House is located on Pearl Street approximately 200 feet west of the intersection of College Avenue and Pearl Street (GPS coordinates 31.516659, -87.895691). Shown on the map is the location of the J. P. McKee home.
These are private residents – drive by only.
Source: Wikipedia